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The address of Major Thos. l. Broun, at the Memorail Exercises 

of camp patton. 



[From the Charleston (W. Va.) Star, June 14, 1888.] 
Below we give the substance of the opening address made in this city, on Saturday last, by ^Major Thomas L. 
Broun, at the memorial day exercises under the auspices of Camp Patton No. 1, Confederate Veterans. The speak- 
ers occupied a stand erected in the Court House yard, and a large audience in attendance occupied the yard and 
the adjacent streets. 

Fellow-Comrades and Citizens: 

This is the first celebration l)y Camp Patton of ileiiKirial Day. It is tlie tii>t time in the Kanawha Valley that 
Confederat e soldiers have met together to celebrate iSleitiorial Day and to decorate the graves of their fellow-com- 
rades! Xnd^ftls'grafifyihg to see so large an audience collected together to participate in this proceeding. 

Camp Patton, fellow-citizens, was named in honor of a gallant Confederate Colonel, George S. Patton, wlro4ost 
his life in the Confederate service, and wOio was a true, brave and heroic man. 

This Camp is like similar organizations formed in Virginia and elsewhere in the South. 

Its objects are to peri)eiuate the memory of Confederate siildiers who gave up their lives during the civil war 
in defense of their principles, and to minister to the wants .if brother Confederates who were wounded oi' disai)led, 
and whose necessities may now need our charities. 

Camp Patton is in no sense a political organization; on the contrary, it will promote harmony and fraternal 
feeling with tlKi.se who, in years gone by, were our adversaries and opi)onents in battle. 

Having, fellow-citizens, briefly stated the object of the formation of Camp Patton, and the purposes of the or- 
ganization, let us new l'>ok at some of the chief epochs in the history of our country, prior to the outbreal; of 
war in 1861, to ascertain what were the causes that led to the war. But };efore doing so, let me remind you that 
Greece had its civil wars, Great Britain has had its civil wars, and the I'nited States has had its civil war. History 
l>ut repeats itself. Civil war seems to be an out-growth ol libcrt.v-loving people. It is a direful calamity to any 
jieople whilst the war is going on; but, when peace is restored, the activities and energies of the people appear to 
have become greatly increased thereby, and are more ready than ever to grapple with the stern realities of life, and 
to advance the material prosperity of the country and the j;eneral welfare of the people. So may the effects of 
Kiir civil war prove to our now united country. 

The first grand epoch in our country's history \\ as the jiet of the thirteen colonies declaring themselves free 
and independent of the mdiher country — Great Britain. This was on the Fourth of July, 177ii. This act led 
to a long and bloody war. wherel)y the thirteen colonies achieved their independence and di dared tlieiuselves to 
be thirteen sovereign Stales, free forever from British rule. 

Another grand act was the formation of the Federal Union by the thirteen States, whereby the United States 
of America, in 1787, were created by the adoption of the Federal constitution. 

As time rolled on grave questions arose as to the meaning of certain parts of the eonstitutinn. The iiKist im- 

^uli-mlii (jueRiiOTi •WTTS' this-r- -^' Waft IIk' FederaUGovernnient to be the final and exclusive judge of the pcwers dele- 
gated to it by the States? or bad each State the right to judge for itself and act for itself as^o any and all que*-- 
lions of dispute that might arise between the Federal Government and a State government ?"■ 

Over and over again v.a.'; this great question discussed by the leading men of the country, from the adoption of 
the Federal con.stitution, in 1787, down to the outbreak of the civil war in 1861. For seventy-odd years did this 
momentous question receive the grave attention and consideration of the ablest intellects and statesmen that the 
country produced. Prior to our civil war the question, on several occasions, did assume a very grave aspect, and 
looked as if only a civil war could settle it. 

By resolutions of 1708 and 17f)!), passed by the Legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky, it was held that each 
State bad the right to construe the Federal Constitution for itself in all (piestions in dispute between the State 
and the Federal governments. In 1814 ^las.saehusetts and other New England States held a Cciuvention at Hart- 
ford, Connecticut, and published a manifesto setting forth dangers impending to New England from the usurpa- 
tions of the General Government, as alleged by this Convention. It also recommended that the Legislatures of the- 
New England States should adopt such measures as would be necessary to protect the New England people from 
the operation of certain acts passed by Congress, and pronounced to be unconstitutional by the Convention at 
Hartford. In 1832 an ordinance was passed in South Carolina declaring certain acts of Congress [lassed in thr 
tariff to be uncfmstitutional. and that South Carolina would secede fn ni the Federal Union if the general gov- 
ernment attempted to enforce such tariff laws within the State of South Carolina. 

Early in 1861 South Carolina and some other Southern States seceded from the Federal Union, alleging as 
a reason therefor that dissati.'-faction with Federal affairs, and disputes between the Federal government and the 
State governments, as to their respective rights imder the Federal constitution, necessitated their withdrawal from 
the Federal compact. 

President Buchanan and olher leading statesmen of the Xortli held, in 1S(:(), that the general government had 
no authority, under the constitution, to force a State ba( k into the fniim. 

The secession of South Carolina and of other States, however, caused a proclamation to lie i.*sued by President 
Lincoln, calling on the "States remaining in tiie Union for troojis (o force the seceded States hack into the Union, 
vvi..... liiiN pruciaitianou was issued. Vu-gima and other States, refused to rurnish troops for such purpose"amraf 
once seceded also from the Union. War then followed. A war which la-^ted some four vears, and proved to be 
the most gigantu- civil war known in the history of the world. 

It terminated in April, 1865, at Appomattox, in Virginia. Grant in connuand of the Federal armv -Lee in 
command of the Confederate army. 

c^ , '^^"^T."'^^ ^^^^^ forever the great constitutional (luestii n. whether a Static had the right to secede fr.im the 
federal I nion— a question to settle whiHi it bad re<iuired bnndivds ,4' th.iusnnds of lives to be lost and milliim- 
ot dollars in property to be destroyed. 

The slavery cpicstion was not the cau.'^e of the war. but it was the love of State government that existed among 
ttie peoi)le ot each State, and the claim of certain States to make the State the final arbiter in questions of dispute 
between the State government and the Federal government. 

So far as the right of secession is concerned, it has been linallv and forever settled bv the result of our civil 
war. and this the Confederate army acknowledged in their surrender to the Federal armv at Appomattox, in 186.') 
—nearly a quarter of a century ago— and we now claim the Union to be indissoluble, and the States to he inde- 
structible under the Federal constitution; so that our Federal government is composed of indestructible States to- 
gether forming an indissoluble Union. 

At a banquet given in London, directly after the war. to Commodore Maurv bv his English admirers. Sir John 
Pakington stated that the fighting qualities of both armies in our civil war had elicited the admiration of the civ- 



a 

ilized world, and that the English people were esi)eeially jiroud of the bravery and heroism shown by their descend- 
V ants, their own Anglo-Saxon stock in the American civil war. Between the soldiers engaged in the war, especially 
%^ between the real fighting material of the opposing armies, there have been ever since the war, good-will and kind 

feeling existing, for true bravery and consistency are always admired on whatever side of the war they appeared. 
li Hut it has been the non-coml)atant element in every community that has been so ready to fight, after peace was 
I declared, which has delayed and retarded to some extent the progress and <levelopment of our common country. 

We have, however, at last reached an era in the history of our country, when the asperities, engendered by the 

war, have nearly all passed away. When the great bod.y of the people North and South, East and West, are engaged 

in deveoliiing and utilizing the wonderful resources of our vast country, which is unsurpassed for its varied and great 

natural advantages. 

This unity of action and harmony of purpose are issential to the well being of society in every localit.v in this 

broad land of ours, and it is iuid will be in the future, the province of Camp Patton, by its annual gathering on 

^leuKUMal Day, and ofherwise. (o cuntviljutc its .share to the ircnei-al well'are of its members- and of this cominunitv. 




LEE'S BIRTHDAY 

[From the Charhsfoii (W. \',i.) (hurlh. .January 24th, 1907.1 

The one hundredth anniversary of Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday was celebrated at the ilethodist Episcopal 
Church, South, in this city on January 19th, 1907, by the Stonewall Jackson Camp, the Kanawha Riflemen Chap- 
ter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, the Charleston Chapter of the V. D. C, Sons of Veterans and others. 

The church was well filled with the old ConfederiMrs and their friends, and those in sympathy with them. 

^lajor Thomas L. Broun of thi.s city presided at tlse meetin?: and in his opening address stated that in the 
summer of ISIil ({en. John P.. Floyd was in command of Ihe "Floyd Brigade," and that Gen. Henry A. Wise was 
in eonuuand of the "Wise (jCgion.'' together containin-i about 8.000 soldiers, stationed west of Lewisbur^, in West 
Virginia. 

After the l)attle of Carnifax Ferry on Gauley Riv.-^r and at the mouth of ileadow River, the Floyd and Wise 
commands retreated towards Lewisburg, and Rosecrans' Army, aboiit 12,000 strong, c'osly pursued them for three 
(3) days. The Wise Legion halted on the Sewell ^lountains at night and commenced erecting fortifications. The 
Floyd Brigade, however, marched to Meadow Bluff, some twelve miles nearer Lewisburg. Floyd and Wise did 
not act in concert. Floyd was Wise's senior in rank by one week only. 

When the condition of the Confederate forces was made known in Richmond, Gen. Robert E. Lee was ordered 
to proceed at once and take command of Floyd's Bri -;ule and Wise's Legion, and Floyd and Wise were both or- 
dered to Richmond. 

Upon the arrival of Gen. Lee at Sewell Mountain he ordered Floyd's command at iMeadow Bluff to join the 
Wise Legion on Sewell Jlcuntain, Gen. Lee deeming Big Sewell Mountain the better place for defensive action. 
And he then ordered all officers in those commands to appear lefore him, which was very promptly done, and 
Gen. Lee in persim re(iuired each to state his position end rank, what command each belonged to, where stationed. 
"etc.^Fn;'. In a few days Gen. Lee had these discordant elements, the Floyd Briir.ac'.o ."ixtl tbe Wise Tipgjon merp-ed 
into one united army, ready and cheerfully willing to act just as he, Lee, should direct. 

The army thus united, with Gen. Lee in command, stopped the advance of Rosecrans' army of 12,000 men, 
and thereby compelled the enemy to abandon his advance mrvcment on to Lewisburg and Staunton, and to retreat 
to the Kanawha Valley and westward. 

JIajor Broun was placed in command of the thir 1 regiment ol the Wise Legion after C<il. Spaulding was 
killed, which was early in August and before the battle c^f Carnifav Ferry. 

Lee's iiromju organization of these discordant ele-.ients Cthe Wise Legion and the Floyd l^rigade) into one 
h."mogeneo\is army ready fe;- action was spoken of by all officers and men with great admirati(m and satisfaction. 

The chairman further stated that the surrender of Lee'^^ army at Appcmatlox, April 10th, 18()5, was a terrible 
shock to the whole South, and that Confederate officer; and soldiers for a while were hopelessly despondent, and 
totally at a loss to know what to do or where to go, mnny declaring they would go to Mexico, Europe, in fact any- 
where to avoid living under the Federal Flag. In a week after the surrender. Lincoln was assas.sinated. This 
deplorable event threw the Northern mind into a frenzied madness towards the South and for a while it looked 
as if the boasted civilization of the ITnited States had reached an end. 

'\Vhat did Gen. Lee do in that very critical and trying period? To many letters sent to him by Confederate 
officers, he in substance replied; "Go home and go to worh. Stand by your old homes. y(mr country, your state. 
Work to restore peace and quiet in the land of your birth." 

This advice was most timely and it acted like a charm on the entire South. It was obeyed as if it were an 
order from the commanding (Tcncral. and the soldiers of the Confederacy went right to work in the peaceful vo- 
cations of life. 

An interesting event, the speaker .«tated. occurred in New Vork City resjiecting Memorial Exercises which Con- 
federate officers and soldiers then in the city prepared to have upon the death of Gen. Lee in October, 1870. 

It was then said that officers, soldiers and men of 1he C' nfederate Army in New York- City in October, 1870, 
lunubered at least 5,000, all of v,hom were actively engaged in their respective occupations as merchants, bankers. 
I'lerks, lawyers, doctors, etc. ^ — ., ^ ' 

Officers and others of the Confederate Army to the number of 100 from the different Southern States who had 
been educated at the University of Virginia formed in 1866 an Alumni Association. The speaker was a member 
of this association, and stated that one-lnrtf'of them had been wounded in battles, and of course were red hot on 
S(uitbern rights. 

This association took an active part to have a Lee Memorial Meeting held in New York directly after the death 
of General Lee in October, 1.870. 

This movement met with much opposition from the radical republican element in the city, and some citizens 
thought a riot might residt if any such meeting was then held in the city. The question was much talked about. 
Finally a meeting of about 100 prominent citizens was held to confer with the ex-Confederates and ascertain just 
what was to be done at the proposed ^lemorial Exercises. This conference resulted in authority being given to 
Gen. Lee's followers and admirers that such a meeting could be held, and that the city police, backed by 200 special 
policemen for the occasion would see that no disturbance should be had at such meeting. 

This action greatl.y gladdened the hearts of the Confederates in New York. The ^lemorial Meeting was held 
in Cooper's Institute and 5,000 persons were present, among them many soldiers of the South. Speeches were 
delivered by prominent persons from the North and the South. The whole affair proved a decided success, and 
thereby the great metropolis of this country united itself most closely with the Southern heart through Robert E. 
Lee. 



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